Huntsville gazette., 1887-04-16
OUR MARTYR PRESIDENT.
THE REMAINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
REMOVED.

Where the Body Has Rested During the
Past TEN Ycars-AH the Mystery to the
Matter Now Cleared Away-The Body
Identifed-rhe Final Resting Place.
SPRINGFIELD, III, April l5.-The remains
Of the late President Lincoln and Mrs. Lin
coin were removed, opened and identified
yesterday, and turned over to the Monument
association by the Lincoln Guard of Honor.
On the night Of November Z, 1875, Mullen
and Hughes, two Chicago thieves, made an
an unsuccessful attempt to steal the body OF
the late President Lincoln. The marble sar-
cophagus in which it was inclosed, and which
was exposed to the view Of visitors through
the iron grating on the north side Of the
monument, was forced open, and the coffin
was taken out but at this point the robbers
were interfered with by certain persons Sc
creted in the monument, who had received
information that the robbery was to be at
tempted
Since that time the public mind has been
In q state of uncertainty as to the real rest
ing place of the martyrs body, report hav-
ing gone out that it was not returned to the
sarcophagus after the attempted robbery.
All the mystery that has attached to the
matter is now cleared away. 1t appears
that the body was replaced in sarcophagus
and remained there for about week. The
members of the association, however, felt
that it was insecure, and it was subsequently
removed to place Of greater safety. Fin
ally the Lincoln Guard of Honor, which is
composed of some of the best known and
most highly respected citizens Of Springfield,
was organized and one Of the duties Of this
association has been to sacredly guard the
body of the dead president.
During the month Of November, 1878, the
msmbers OF the guard, with their own hands
prepared vault within the monument fos
the body. An excavation was made in the
earth about thirty feet south of the sar
cophagus and the body was safely deposited
In the rein, and the mouth OF the excavation
closed. The atmosphere at the point where
the excavation was made was almost sitting,
and the work was prosecuted at different
times during the stiffness of the night with
no human eye to witness it, save those who
were assisting in the labor of love. Two
days after the funeral Of Mrs. Lincoln, in
July, 1882, her body was taken by the guard
and laid beside that of her husband The
members bound themselves by the solemnity
of an oath not to reveal what had been done
until the proper time, and that time has now
arrived.
Yesterday both of the bodies were taken
by the Lincoln Guard of Honor in the pres
ence Of the Monument association and placed
in new receptacle, prepared for them
during the week. This receptacle is in the
earth near where the sarcophagus has 80 long
stood. 1t has on the bottom twelve inches of
cement and has double walls of brick. The
entrance to it, now that the bodies have been
placed In their final resting place, is cemented
over, and this in time will become as solid as
rock. After this work had been completed
the bodies were formally turned over by the
guard to the Monument association and ac-
cepted by it, Before being finally entombed
the body of Lincoln was exposed and identi-
fed. The hair and beard have fallen off and
the face is discolored, but the contour is still
perfect and the face is said to strongly re-
Semble that Of the bronze statue in the mon
ument